Bats are the only “flying animals” in the world. They can't see very well. We often hear “as blind as a bat”. Yet they have no trouble flying on the darkest nights and finding their ways round. How can bats fly and see at night? They fly by radar(雷达).

The bat's radar system(系统) works the same way as the radar in ships and planes. As a bat flies through the air, it makes a sound. If the sound hits things, it will come back and the bat's ears will receive the message. In this way the bat is able to know where the things are. Bats go out for food at night. In the daytime they hang in some dark places. Some people think bats are bad animals. In fact they are useful animals.

    Noise pollution is doing much harm to our health now. Noise，in fact，is unwanted sound and is a kind of invisible (无形的) killer. More and more students enjoy listening to music very much. When they listen to MP3 players, they like to turn up the volume (音量). Some people love listening to loud music. Furthermore, while watching TV, they keep the volume up. But they haven't realized that the noise is weakening their hearing. In fact, the noise not only influences each member in the family, but also makes a difference to the comfort of neighbors.

    Noise pollution is a source of increasing misery (痛苦) to people in our society. If people are often disturbed by it, they may feel uncomfortable or upset. What's worse, the noise can make people mad sometimes. If a worker works in a printing factory for too long, his/her hearing loss is much faster than a common person working in a quieter environment. So everybody must pay more attention to noise pollution. Generally speaking，the following four types of noise should be watched out for：

    Noise in the street

    Construction site (建筑工地) noise

    Noise at work

    Transportation noise

    I think the local department (部门) should take measures to control the noise levels, but it's everybody's duty to keep a quiet environment.

    How much do you know about air pollution? When people talk about air pollution, they usually think about outdoor air 1. But do you know that there is also 2 pollution inside homes, offices, hotels and other buildings? The air in your home can be 2 to 100 times more polluted than the air outdoors! In fact, some American doctors say that 50％ of illnesses have something to do with 3 indoor air.

    A lot of pollution comes from 4 activities such as smoking and cooking. As most people 5 about 80％-90％of their time inside buildings, it is important to take indoor air pollution seriously too.

    Air pollution influences our health in many ways. When the air is polluted, not only 6 children and old people suffer from it, but people with 7 problems suffer as well. Indoor air pollution can 8 people's eyes, noses and throats. Air pollution, both indoor and outdoor, can also lead to lung cancer and heart disease! In the Great Smog of London in 1952, 4,000 9 died in a few days because of the pollution! It is 10 that half a million young children and women die each year in India because of indoor air pollution!

    We all cry for water when we are thirsty. But do you know, in very hot, dry weather, plants also make very low sounds as if they are crying for help?

    You see, in a plant's stem there are several hundred "water pipes" that bring water from soil all the way up to the leaves. When the ground turns dry, it becomes harder and harder for plants to do this.

    In very hot days, plants have to get any water that they can get.

    Scientists Robot Winter has found out that when plants can get no water, their "water pipes" snap(发出声音). When that happens, the whole plant vibrates(颤动) a little.

    Robot knows that healthy, well-watered plants are quiet. He also knows that dry plants are many insects' favorites and they often attack(袭击) them. How do the insects know which are healthy plants and which are not? Robot thinks that the insects may hear the plants "crying" and they may come to kill them.